EDB-Industrial Post-graduate Programme (IPP)

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Background and Programme Objectives

The Industrial Postgraduate Programme (IPP) is introduced by the Economic Development Board (EDB) to build up a pool of postgraduate manpower with critical R&D skill-sets for roles in industry through providing postgraduate training in a corporate R&D environment. Academic partners for the IPP include local universities in Singapore as well as selected Singapore-based foreign universities.

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) participates in the IPP and this programme is coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Graduate School (IGS).

An IPP trainee will be enrolled at the Masters Research or PhD educational level, and spend time working on an industry project in an eligible local or multinational company. Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents may apply for this programme. Current postgraduate students at schools in NTU are also eligible for IPP enrolment.

IPP and NTU

NTU will leverage on the IPP to strengthen the university’s excellent links with industry. The University will also tap onto the IPP to enhance research in our 5 peaks of excellence.

Criteria for Companies

The selected company must be locally based. It is envisaged that the company should have the capacity and ability to scope out and conduct an industrial postgraduate research project with an academic partner. The company shall have some PhD-level staff and R&D leaders who can assume the role of industry supervisors. Companies need to have substantial activities/projects which are highly research based and new technology that are suitable for Masters or PhD. The entire lifecycle should be critically assessed by the academic partner. Last by not least, the company should possess the commitment to support the trainee for a period of 2 or 4 years leading to an award of Masters by Research or PhD by the university. The company should have ample ground training facilities for R&D work which are critical for industry development plans. The standards should be pegged at PhD level.

Mechanism of IPP

Applicants expressing their interests in the IPP should apply online on the postgraduate Office of Admissions & Financial Aid website. The applicant may select any schools or centres he/she is interested to pursue his/her research. The applicant must be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident. The applicant should also satisfy the same entry requirement for studies at NTU. The trainee can be a fresh graduate from any of our local universities or be an existing employee in the company. By default, the status of the applicant is that of a company employee.

The company is expected to provide and drive the industry project with the student under close supervision by the academic partner. The trainee is required to spend at least 50% of time in the company’s research facility.

The programme supports participants’ tuition fees and monthly salary. EDB’s support for monthly salary is capped at $3,500+ CPF based on $3,500 salary. Nonetheless, the company has the complete flexibility to peg the trainee’s salary to the prevailing economic conditions. The grant support from EDB for Masters and PhD training is for a maximum period of 2 and 4 years respectively.

EDB does not stipulate a bond on the IPP trainee upon completion of the programme. However, the company is free to negotiate with the trainee and stipulate their own bond is both parties are agreeable.

Intakes of IPP at NTU

Faculties are strongly encouraged to identify IPP research areas and companies which they find suitable for such programmes to take place. Concurrently, the intended appointed company should be surfaced to EDB prior to engagement of companies through IGS point of contact in the university. It is with the follow-up assessment thereafter that EDB can decide if the company is suitable to host the IPP student in its facilities.

Summary of Features of IPP

The IPP is a full-time masters or doctoral programme which leads to an award of Masters by Research after two years of study and research or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) after four years of study and research.

The research will be carried out intensively in partnership with the company. A thesis is to be submitted in fulfilment of the degree programme.

The company must be locally based with sufficient R&D facilities.

The student should be a full-time salaried employee of the company who is pursuing this programme on a full-time basis.

Upon successful completion of the requirements for both studies and research thesis, the student will be awarded the degree of Masters by Research or Doctor of Philosophy.

The student is expected to spend at least 50% of his/her time on the project in the company premise.

The supervisory team should comprises of at least 1 NTU academic faculty and 1 staff from the company who has academic qualification at a PhD level.

The IPP candidate will be registered as a Masters or PhD student in the academic School of the NTU academic faculty.

The Intellectual Property (IP) is to be discussed between NTU and the company in consultation with NTU Legal and Secretarial Office .

A research contractual agreement would be formulated specifically for each project to be undertaken by the student, the company and the university.

It should include clauses related to salary, tuition fees, extent of commitment of programme, conference travel, consumables, utilisation of equipment and any other indirect costs which may involve in the entire IPP duration.

Ownership of any publications and findings that are generated from the research are amongst the issues that have to be discussed.

The applicant should meet the minimum enrolment requirements of NTU Office of Admissions (OA) as well as be suitably qualified to be recruited and employed by the company.​​